Putting his head where his heart is … Pat Pedraja, Boy in Florida With Leukemia Selling Ad Space On Head to Raise Money

Pay it forward with random acts of kindness … Putting your head where your heart is.

Pat Pedraja, an 11 year old boy in Florida who has leukemia certainly has his heart in the right place. Pat Pedraja is selling ad space on his head to raise money for the Bone Marrow Registry. The boy lost all his hair during chemotherapy treatments. Now Pat Pedraja wishes to help others in a rather unique way, selling ad space on his head.

VIDEO

“(Leukemia) treatment kicks my butt and it makes me feel sad,” Pedraja said. “But I want to be looking forward to something and knowing that I’m helping people.”

The sixth-grader said many people have visited his Web site but there have been no bidders.

“I hope that people start bidding on it now, before it ends Dec. 6 and that’s all I can hope for,” Pedraja said. “Bidding will not only help you by advertising, it will also help save a bunch of lives.” (Local 6)

We can certainly understand people’s hesitancy to buy ad space on the young boys head; however, this would be a great opportunity for people to donate during the “Season of Giving” to the Bone Marrow Registry  in Pat Pedraja’s name for the kind gesture that he is putting forth.

UPDATE I: Pat Pedraja now has bids

According to the latest eBay bids as of 12:12 AM on Friday the bids are up to $5100.00. We can only hope that those who are bidding are respectful and understand what Pat Pedraja is doing. Bill Gates where are you? Make a bid …

UPDATE II: Scroll down and check out Pat’s “Driving for Donors” plan.

VIDEO

Our plan is on May 15, 2007, I will begin DRIVING FOR DONORS!   My family and I are going to drive across the country in a special “Donormobile” .  We will host Bone Marrow donor drives and add potential donors to the National Marrow Donor Program Registry. Our goal is to add 2,007 NEW DONORS in 2007!

Suspect Hearing Case in Aruba Concludes … Joran Van der Sloot, Kalpoes & Security Guards Wait for Decision

According to sources in Aruba, the hearing to determine whether the suspects will continue to remain suspects is over. There has been no decision made yet and one will not be made until next week. The hearing, according to sources was for all five remaining suspects: Joran Van der Sloot, Deepak Kalpoe, Satish Kalpoe and the two security guards. What good reason is there to make an exception and take the primary suspects off a suspect list when by law the prosecutors have 2 years? Who does it serve? A lot can happen in six months, who is to say it won’t? So why do these three deserve to be an exception to the rule? Is that the precedent Aruba wishes to create? Or the perception they wish to put forth to the world?

Come to Aruba … disappear … never to be seen from again … and even though we have 2 years to prosecute suspects … we will let the last three people ever seen in your company off and not consider them suspects … why? Because we are Aruba and protect our own.

The hearing took place behind closed doors in front of Judge H.C. Smid, who is the judge that ruled previously on the same petition from the Kalpoe Brothers and Joran Van der Sloot, and denied their request. The media was not allowed in the court room during the proceedings. Why they make this any more clandestine and secretive than its been since the beginning is a mystery. Of course …why start now Aruba? Who would take Joran “fauxtograph” Van der Sloot off a suspect list? So what was the gist of the defense’s argument as to why they are seeking a ruling? One that actually makes no sense. How does the defense know or can know what the Prosecution will do in the future? Do the defense attorney’s have a magic 8 ball? Although one does begin to wonder if this is actually how decisions are made there.

We understand that the main argument of the defense is that the Prosecution has not, after a year and a half, presented its case in court. The defense doesn’t see any reason why the suspects should remain as such after that prolonged period of time.

How is it a prolonged period of time if the law states the prosecution has 2 years? One would think that with less than 6 months to go until they are taken off the suspect list as, what’s the hurray? If by Dutch law that can keep individuals as suspects for 2 years, then what’s the rush? Why have the guideline in place then? This is one of the most high profile cases and has major implications to Aruba and their perception as caring whether they take crime or investigations seriously.

Read more

Anyone Have Buyers Remorse Yet? You get What you Elect … Democrats Reject Important 9/11 Panel Suggestion

Anyone with buyers remorse yet? Not that we didn’t tell you so … Democrats were saying anything to get elected and win back power. This goes way beyond a political white lie during an election.

All we heard in the run up up to the mid term elections from Democrats is that they would implement what the 9–11 Commission report  had suggested. They stated that George W. Bush resisted the suggestions and that they would implement them them all. We were not safer today than were were prior to 9–11.

“The Democrats pledged to implement all the remaining 9/11 reforms, not some of them,” said former representative Timothy J. Roemer (D-Ind.), who served on the commission

Isn’t it amazing what an election win can do and once one has the power. Suddenly all promises go by the wayside. I believe Nancy Pelosi also stated that this would be the most ethical and scandal free Congress. Just say anything Nancy and worry about it later. Don’t hold your breathe, they are certainly not off to a good start on the ethical part. However, as QandO states, Promises, promises.

It was a solemn pledge, repeated by Democratic leaders and candidates over and over: If elected to the majority in Congress, Democrats would implement all of the recommendations of the bipartisan commission that examined the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

But with control of Congress now secured, Democratic leaders have decided for now against implementing the one measure that would affect them most directly: a wholesale reorganization of Congress to improve oversight and funding of the nation’s intelligence agencies. Instead, Democratic leaders may create a panel to look at the issue and produce recommendations, according to congressional aides and lawmakers.

Because plans for implementing the commission’s recommendations are still fluid, Democratic officials would not speak for the record. But aides on the House and Senate appropriations, armed services and intelligence committees confirmed this week that a reorganization of Congress would not be part of the package of homeland-security changes up for passage in the “first 100 hours” of the Democratic Congress. (Washington Post)

Who is surprised? Not Wake up America, they would like a show of hands.

More Stellar Stability & Economic News From Aruba … Valero Union Employees On Strike

Valero employees have been on strike in Aruba since 6:00 AM on Tuesday in Aruba. Now management says, they will not reopen negotiations … “Our last offer is the best and is definite.” Just another sign of more stability and an inaction of compromise. No matter what management says, the production of a refinery is never 100% operational and functional without the 375 union members on strike, otherwise why would they be employed in the first place.

Amigoe; November 30, 2006: Impasse with strike Valero

Read more

4 Year Old Power Ranger Saves Family

In a combination of bravery and niavity that only a 4 year old boy can have, Stevie Long snuck away from the robbers that had his mother and sister at gun point, changed into his Power Rangers costume, and charged the crooks. In what must prove that they were on drugs, the thieves paniced and ran away at the sight of the 4 year old.

How very cool.

Get away from my family,” 4-year-old Stevie Long shouted, punctuating his screams with swipes of his plastic sword and hearty “yah, yahs.”
The robber and his accomplice, who was waiting outside the apartment Friday night, fled with credit cards, jewelry, cash and other items that Stevie’s mother, Jennifer Long, dumped from her purse.
“I scared the bad guys away,” Stevie said.
According to police: “During the robbery, a … boy snuck into his bedroom, dressed himself in a Power Ranger costume and armed himself with a plastic sword. The child then exited his room and approached the armed suspect, in an attempt to protect his family.”
Relatives said the robber abandoned plans to take Stevie’s mother to an ATM to withdraw cash when he saw Stevie. via  The Detroit News Online.

Update: Video of Stevie showing his Power Ranger Moves here .

Daily Commentary - Thursday November 30th, 2006

Dana Pretzer in his morning update asks

• How do the Holloways Feel When The AP Carries Inane Stories 

Snoop Dogg Arrested Again … What a Shock … CD Sales will Sky Rocket

Snoop Dogg … aka Calvin Broadus, was arrested as he left the NBC Studios after performing on the ‘Tonight Show’ with Jay Leno. What will come of all this? Nothing. Maybe Snoop will sell more CD’s and down-load more songs off the internet now that he has been arrested by the man again. The worse the behavior, the greater the rap sales. Such is the sad case of affairs within the rap community. Behaving badly is not only rewarded, its a badge of honor. Of course Snoop get to go back to his multi-million dollar crib, many of those that buy his music are not so fortunate.

The 35-year-old rapper, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, and two members of his entourage were arrested around 6 p.m. Tuesday after a search of his Diamond Bar home and car, Sgt. Kevin Grandalski said.

Police seized a handgun and some illegal drugs, Grandalski said. He did not have details. (The Charlotte Observer)

See the pictorial Snoop Dogg “Rappers” Rap Sheet through the years.

No Body, No Crime … May Work in Aruba, not in the US … Hans Reiser Pleads Not Guilty to Murder of Nina Reiser

31 year old Nina Reiser has been missing for more than 2 months. Nina Reiser went missing on September 3, 2006 after she dropped her children off at her estranged husband home. Hans Reiser has since been arrested and charged in the murder of Nina Reiser.

Today Hans Reiser pleaded not guilty in the death of Nina Reiser. There is a catch, Nina Reiser is still missing. Her body has not yet been recovered. So it would appear that the premise “if there’s no body they don’t have a case” only seems to work in Aruba.

Joran says to the Kalpoe brothers: “That’s not true, the only thing he (Joran’s father) said that if there’s no body there don’t have a case.”

Read more

Gray Lady Turning White? Fear of Hank Greenberg Running Rampant at New York Times

Insurance billionaire Hank Greenberg is in the midst of a power play aimed at taking over the New York Times, or at least forcing Pinch Sulzberger to give up some of the control he and his family have over the paper.

The New York Times has fallen from the paper of record into a liberal mess, losing circulation and profitability while getting ensconsed in scandals such as the Jason Blair affair. Greenberg is looking to turn around the fortunes of the paper if he succeeds in the take over.

Sources confirmed that the famously combative Greenberg has been buying hundreds of thousands of Times shares, but did not disclose the exact number or the size of the stake he wants to own.
Greenberg has both the assets - Forbes estimated his net worth at $3.2 billion - and the temperament to jump into a fight over the future of the stumbling newspaper giant.
A major stock position would put Greenberg in league with already angry Times’ shareholders, such as Morgan Stanley Investment Management, to battle the board over whether the founding Ochs-Sulzberger family should hold a powerful class of stock that accounts for a majority of the voting power at the company.   via the New York Post Online Edition:

Here is my question for the media? If Greenberg takes over the paper and turns it into a conservative newspaper, or even a moderate one, will the rest of the media still consider it the paper of record? Or will they quickly move on to another target that echos their world view?

Update: It looks like the folks over at Editors and Publishers are already worrying about Maurice Greenberg.

How Desperate is the Aruban Government for Money? Aruban Government attaches Marriott Sales Proceeds

Think the island of Aruba and the government is not desperate for revenue? I guess this can be added to the many reason to do business in Aruba and that “ideal market for investment” that was floated. According to Amigoe, the Aruban government has requested that a “Court of First Instance” be attached to the proceeds of the recent Marriott sale. We will do as we please, even if we do not have the documents. Why does this story sound so familiar?

The buildings were sold for 237 million dollars last week to a Caribbean investor in real estate.  The petition is dated November 24th, but has been submitted before that date, because it mentions the urgent reason for the sale of the buildings.

Of course there are many details in such deal and disputed opinions, comments and facts. However, the following comment from Aruban Prime Minister Nelson Oduber rings so loud and so common as what we have all seen from Aruban officials during the past 18 months. Trust me, I am telling the truth. Conveniently they do not have the necessary documents, they vanished. Yet, people are supposed to take them at their word of the ones they do have that benefit their position.

These proceeds are for the Country of Aruba, after the Netherlands is paid in connection with the loan furnished at that time.”  Oduber admits that the government does no longer have all the documentation concerning the loan.  But from some other documents that he has, he concludes that only Aruba is entitle to the proceeds.

Read more